This invention generally relates to heating devices used in drying equipment. More particularly, the invention relates to heating devices used in drying equipment that make use of an exhaust gas stream from a gasoline, propane, natural gas, or combustible fueled internal combustion engine as a means of generating heat for dissipating and evaporating moisture from a surface.
Any variety of commercial tasks, endeavors or public events can be delayed for indefinite periods of time while waiting for natural evaporation to occur after a moisture-generating event (e.g., dew, mist, rain, frost, snow, plumbing failures).
Prior art drying equipment either extracts moisture from the surface-to-be-dried (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,281,499 B2) or generates a stream of heated air to dry the surface. The heated air stream is usually achieved by the use of a heating device having an open flame or electric-resistance heater, infrared combustion of an air/fuel mixture, or infrared radiation from electric lighting such as a halogen or other high intensity lamp. Air is passed over, around or through the heating device using one of these techniques and then the heated air is directed as needed.
The disadvantages of drying equipment that makes use of prior art heating devices include (1) lack of mobility or portability and a limited ability to access all surface areas with the heated air stream; (2) safety hazards posed by the device to users and bystanders; (3) complex design with an associated higher operating and maintenance cost; (4) a limited lifespan of the heating source and an inability of the heat source to withstand rough handling and service; (5) a need to be connected to a main source of high amperage electrical power; and (6) limitations on the amount of heated air that can be generated due to the engineering constraints of the materials from which the heating device is constructed.